*Update* Rutgers takes down Syracuse

The Syracuse football team lost to No. 20 Rutgers, 23-15, at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Running back Adonis Ameen-Moore scored at the end of the first half and receiver Chris Clark caught a Ryan Nassib TD pass in the fourth quarter for the Orange (2-4, 1-1 BIG EAST).

Nassib was 25-for-42 for 356 yards and one touchdown, marking his fifth career 300-yard passing game. He has four 300-yard efforts this season.

Junior Jerome Smith led the Orange ground game with 67 yards on 15 carries and senior Marcus Sales recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game this season, which leads the BIG EAST. Sales caught four passes for 100 yards, while tight end David Stevens made five catches for 60 yards, tying his career-high in receptions.

Senior linebacker Siriki Diabate led the Orange defense with a career-high 13 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss of yards.

With 4:52 remaining in the first quarter, Rutgers took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by Jawan Jamison that capped a 10 play, 93-yard scoring drive.

The Orange tied the game with 1:32 left in the first half, moving down the field on a 12-play, 80 yard drive. Ameen-Moore scored touchdown of the season on a three yard run.

Syracuse opened the second half with an 11-play, 51 yard drive moving to the Rutgers 15 yard line. Junior Ross Krautman's 33-yard field goal attempt was blocked by RU's Jamal Merrel and returned for a touchdown by Duron Harmon, putting the Scarlet Knights up 14-7.

Rutgers extened the lead to 10 on a Nick Borgese a 25-yard field goal with 3:50 left in the third quarter and then put six more points on the board a minute into the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Gary Nova to to Tyler Kroft with 14:01 remaining in the game.

Syracuse cut the lead to eight, 23-15, on Nassib's 40-yard touchdown pass to Clark and a two-point conversion on a Nassib to Sales pass with 4:19 left to play.

The Orange hosts Connecticut on Friday, Oct. 19th at 8:00 p.m. at the Carrier Dome (ESPN). Tickets are available online, in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX.

Previously Reported:

(SU ATHLETICS) - On Saturday, the Orange (2-3, 1-0 BIG EAST) travels to Rutgers (5-0, 2-0 BIG EAST) for its second BIG EAST contest of the season (12 p.m.; BIG EAST). Syracuse leads the series 30-11-1 with head coach Doug Marrone notching a 2-1 record against the Scarlet Knights in his time as head coach.

"I think it will be an outstanding crowd," Marrone said. "I think when you go away and you see that, you have a better sense of you expectation of exactly what it is. It's very hard. You can't simulate that for a football team. Our players understand the situation that we are going into. Our focus is to make sure that we can play well. It's my responsibility to make sure we go out there on Saturday and put our players in a position to have an opportunity to win a game."

This will be the 43rd all-time meeting between the Orange and Scarlet Nights. The two schools have played every year since 1980. One of the most memorable wins against Rutgers happened in 2010, when SU's win against the Scarlet Knights secured them a spot in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

"We are going to have to play physical," Marrone said. "We are going to have to play extremely well to get a win on Saturday."

Many of the Orange have had success on the gridiron this season. Along with sophomore running back Adonis Ameen-Moore's first career touchdown against Pittsburgh, senior defensive end Brandon Sharpe had a career day, earning numerous accolades for his career-high seven tackles, including six tackles for a loss of 45 yards and four sacks for a loss of 42 yards. Senior quarterback Ryan Nassib finds himself among the nation leaders for he ranks in the top 20 nationally in the following: completions per game (27.4, 7th), passing yards (1,552, 18th), passing yards per game (310.4, 10th) and total offense (372.8 ypg, 12th).

"I think you see change in players throughout college and more so than you do at the next level," Marrone said. "Even at the next level you see it with rookies becoming veterans and here it first time players in college becoming college football players. That's where when you have a lot of seniors on your team that really helps. We used to use that expression of 'be a pro'. I have used the expression here 'know what it is to be a student athlete'. There are a lot of demands on both sides. People on the outside, it's very hard to see that. A lot of the players, you watch them develop and you watch them grow."

SU returns to the Carrier Dome on Friday, Oct. 19th at 8 p.m. to face UConn.

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